West Virginia Code § 20-2-5c

Protection of bald eagles and golden eagles; unlawful acts; criminal
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penalties; forfeitures; license revocation.
(a) It is unlawful at any time for any person to take, possess, transport, import, export or
process, sell or offer for sale, buy, barter or trade or offer to buy, barter or trade at any time
or in any manner, any bald eagle, also commonly known as the American eagle, or any
golden eagle, alive or dead, or any part, nest or egg thereof of the foregoinge eagles, or to
attempt to do any of these acts.
(b) Anyone who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $500 nor more thuan $5,000 or imprisoned in
the county jail not less than sixty days nor more than one year, or both fined and imprisoned.
One half of any fine imposed shall be paid to any person or ptersons providing information
that leads to the arrest and conviction of anyone violating the provisions of this section.
(c) For a second or subsequent conviction for a violation of this section, a person is guilty of
a felony and, shall be fined not less than $5,000 nolr more than $10,000 and imprisoned in
the penitentiary for not less than one year nors more than two years. An amount equal to one
half of the fine imposed, not exceeding $2,500, shall be paid to the person or persons
providing information that leads to the arrest and conviction of anyone for a second or
subsequent violation of the provisiongs of this section.
(d) "Take" is defined as including any means to pursue, hunt, wound, kill, capture, collect,
poison, or molest any bald eagle or golden eagle, or any part, nest or egg thereof, or to
knowingly and willfully destroy the nest or eggs of any such eagles.
(e) Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit the taking, possession or
transportation of bald or golden eagles legally under the current federal Eagle Protection
Act, 16 USC § 668a, and the current federal regulations, 50 CFR 22.1 et seq.
(f) All wildlife, merchandise, guns, traps, nets and other equipment, vessels, vehicles,
aircraft and other means of transportation used in taking, possessing, transporting,
importing, exporting, selling or offering for sale, purchasing or bartering or offering to
purchase or barter any bald or golden eagle or part, nest, or egg thereof, or in attempting to
do any of these acts in violation of this section shall be forfeited, at the time of conviction, to
the state.
(g) Upon conviction of taking, possessing, transporting, importing, exporting or processing,
selling or offering for sale, buying, bartering or trading or offering to buy, barter or trade
any bald or golden eagle, alive or dead, or any part, nest or egg thereof of the foregoing
eagles, or of attempting to do any of these acts, the hunting licenses of such person or
persons may be revoked and such person or persons shall not be issued any new hunting
licenses for a period of ten years from the date of conviction.

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